Tadious Manyepo in DURBAN, South Africa FINALLY, Emmanuel Jalai is out of the fringes. He has been there for quite some time. Jalai should perhaps be thankful Michael Nees is the Warriors coach and often watches him shine for Dynamos. The 26-year-old has played every minute of Dynamos’ first three games of the just-started Premier Soccer League season. The Glamour Boys have drawn each of those matches. They lack the magic and the imagination going forward. Jalai played one of those games, against Ngezi Platinum Stars a fortnight ago, as an offensive midfielder. Only twice has he been deployed at his usual right-back position. And when Nees named him in his squad for the back-to-back 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Nigeria, it looked like he would still be on the bench as is usually the case. He has the institutional memory to be of use at the training ground. But Nees has always seen him as a possible cog to throw in when needed. And he decided to do that in the most delicate of fixtures, against Benin, in a must-win situation at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, on Thursday. Jalai, a Muslim, had been fasting, observing Ramadan until five minutes after the Zimbabwe-Benin kick-off. But all that wasn’t evident. The Dynamos captain played like a veteran, intercepting, breaking and blocking the dangerous Benin wing-play that threatened to rip the Warriors apart. Although Zimbabwe conceded two blitz goals in the first half and looked like they wouldn’t have a chance to crawl back, they did find a way round. Jalai threw so much energy in his typical forward surges, crossing the ball with so much perfection and equally sound in neutralising opponent fire. That it was his full debut never showed. He defied his height, showing just how much athleticism can help dwarf size handicap. Zimbabwe were basically spirited especially after being able to draw level from a 2-0 deficit inside just 35 minutes. That wasn’t enough, for all intents and purposes. They needed to win to retain some good chances of qualifying for their maiden World Cup. The chances have slimmed up, but still mathematically attainable. But it was a day perfectly made for Jalai. “I don’t know how to thank God. I am really excited to have been able to play alongside such great talents like Khama Billiat,” said Jalai. “I am really excited. I appreciate all the support from everyone.” Nees showered praises on the diminutive defender. “There is no doubt about Jalai’s capabilities. His time was always going to come,” said Nees. “He had an impressive outing and that’s what we want at the end of the day.” The Warriors left South Africa for Nigeria yesterday morning. They will try to salvage their campaign against the Super Eagles in Uyo on Tuesday. Nees has since said Zimbabwe will fight till the end. But the team need to really roll up their sleeves to take up the grind in a Group C that changed hands at the top with South Africa shooting to the summit following their 2-0 win over Lesotho in Polokwane.